NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Feb. 26, 2014 –Innovative Hearth
Products (IHP), the
manufacturer of Lennox Hearth Products and FMI Products, including wood and
pellet-fueled stoves
as well as fireplace inserts, today issued a public statement about the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency’s (EPA) new standards for wood heaters. Known as the New
Source Performance Standards (NSPS), the proposed rule’s goal is to reduce air
emissions that endanger public health or welfare.

Mark
Klein, president and CEO of IHP, states that the company welcomes efforts by
the EPA to update standards for the hearth industry that encourage cleaner
products for the environment. However, IHP has concerns that the proposed wood
heater standards would substantially increase the price of hearth appliances
for customers without proof of real-world, clean-air benefits. IHP was recently
compelled to participate in EPA hearings held February 26, 2014, in Boston, to
voice these concerns.

“In
spite of its best intentions, the EPA proposes particulate emission limits that
are not cost effectively achievable for hearth manufacturers in light of new
changes to proposed testing methods,” says Klein. The changes will require unjustifiable
increases in product costs that the market might not be able to bear. As a
result, it will threaten jobs and burden consumers with unnecessary costs for
products.

Making
products cleaner burning that were already certified by an earlier EPA rule, will
not appreciably impact wood smoke pollution. Increased incentives to change out
older, dirtier burning products that pre-date the earlier EPA rule, or
redirecting efforts to impose similar regulation on wood-burning fireplaces not
currently under consideration for regulation, would have greater impact.

“There
are millions of standard wood-burning fireplaces that could be economically
modified with devices that significantly diminish the particulate emissions,”
says Klein. This technology exists today and offers a greater reduction of wood
smoke pollution with substantially less economic impact. The same technology is
also available for wood boilers that produce elevated amounts of wood smoke.

IHP encourages
the EPA to look at this more attractive benefit with lower cost, compared to
the overreaching burden the rule will parlay to manufacturers and consumers.
The negative impact it will have on affordable wood-burning stoves and inserts
will prevent consumers from using them as a heating option and potentially
damage many small fireplace and stove companies.

“To be clear, our industry does not oppose
new emission standards,” says Klein. “There are portions of the proposed
standards that we can support. We want to make sure that some of these future
standards produce a real clean-air benefit that consumers can afford.”

For
information about Innovative Hearth Products, visit the company’s website at www.ihp.us.com.